Just another Bloomsburg Blogs Sites site

Menu

Main menu

Post navigation

Blog 10: To Believe or Not to Believe?

The first amendment to the US Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”. Introducing religion in schools could potentially hinder religious freedom for students. Also, let’s not forget that there are laws in place to prevent the merge of Church and State. Religion is an important aspect in many American’s lives, although, we don’t all worship the same god. There are roughly 4,200 different religions in the world, each with it’s own belief system, higher power, and ways of worship. If religion is introduced into schools, how can we assure no student’s religion is left out? What religion would be taught? What if there is no school that shares your same beliefs? Student’s who have different beliefs than the majority of the school could be excluded from class discussions or activities, which could invite prejudice. This could potentially cause intolerance in children. Children would be separated by religion, so they might see other religions as alien and shy away from people who have a different creed. Religion can spark conflict due to strong opposing beliefs, which could cause violence, and bullying within schools. Separation of Church and State allows for religious freedom among impressionable children. There is a fine line between teaching and preaching, and if religion is taught in schools, beliefs could be imposed on students. America was built on the foundations of religious freedom, it’s why America seemed so appealing to many people. Of course, some people don’t believe in a god. According to multiple studies, the percent of American’s who do not believe in God, a god, or gods, is over a quarter of the population. Students are taught information, facts. With the amount of different religions, or lack there of, there is no set way to teach religion without discrediting any beliefs. Religious beliefs also go against some topics taught in schools, such as science. Also, with the inclusion of religion, some parents may be angered by the teachings in schools. They could want their child not to participate in religious activities due to different beliefs, which could take a toll on public schools, seeing as how they run on taxpayers. Of the American public, only 34% of people oppose separation of Church and State. Religion is very important, though to each person, that religion is different, which could cause unwanted conflict. No religion is wrong, although it may be better to keep religious teachings away from schools.